Landfill life: Indonesians make a living from dump – in pictures

Scavengers at Indonesia's largest tip, 30km east of Jakarta, rifle through the 6,250 tonnes of daily rubbish in search of plastic, glass, aluminium and whatever else they may find.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Scavengers work alongside bulldozers, eager to find goods buried deep in the mountain of rubbish.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Many scavengers claim that they have found body parts – and sometimes whole bodies.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

A young boy scavenges for toys in the wheels of a bulldozer.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

A scavenger takes a break.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Three-year-old Talib sings karaoke with a microphone and speakers that his parents bought from their 350,000 rupiah (£25) weekly salary.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

A teenage pemulung – scavenger – cooks skewers of meat found on the tip.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Children play with a wooden cart normally reserved for transporting recyclables found on the tip.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Scavengers can earn about 30,000 rupiah (£2.20) a day – or more if they find goods such as mobile phones, jewellery or foreign currency.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Most scavengers work bare-handed, as maggots from the rubbish can get stuck in the tips of rubber gloves.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Women pray together at the edge of the tip at the end of Ramadan.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

A young boy scavenges for recyclables.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

One of the bosses who organise the tip's scavengers.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Umi, 47, has lived and worked at Bantar Gebang since 1989. She has furnished her home with fake flowers, vases, rugs, plastic sheeting and cardboard found on the tip.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

A family of scavengers rests after a day's shift on the tip with their finds contained in the bags outside their makeshift home.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

The tip's resident imam lives with his 11 children in a house made of materials scavenged from rubbish.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Children play a makeshift game with their sandals.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian

Bantar Gebang is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with many scavengers preferring to work during the cooler night hours.
Photograph: Javad Tizmaghz for the Guardian